Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    1/21

    36 F.3d 1214

    63 USLW 2259, 1994 Copr.L.Dec. P 27,303,

    32 U.S.P.Q.2d 1321

    CHARLES GARNIER, PARIS, Plaintiff-Appellant,

    v.ANDIN INTERNATIONAL, INC., et al., Defendants-

    Appellees.

    No. 94-1446.

    United States Court of Appeals,

    First Circuit.

    Heard Aug. 1, 1994.

    Decided Oct. 7, 1994.

    John D. Deacon, Jr., with whom Flanders & Medeiros, Inc., Providence,

    RI, was on brief, for appellant.

    Julius Rabinowitz, with whom Josephine Bachmann, Kuhn & Muller,New York City, William Richard Grimm, Christopher M. Neronha and

    Hinckley, Allen & Snyder, Providence, RI, were on brief, for appellees.

    Before TORRUELLA, SELYA and CYR, Circuit Judges.

    TORRUELLA, Chief Judge.

    1 This case requires us to determine the proper application of the so-called "cure"

    provision of the copyright laws, 17 U.S.C. Sec. 405(a), which allows authors

    seeking copyright protection to remedy a prior failure to affix notice of

    copyright to copies of their creative work in order to avoid forfeiting protection

    of the copyright laws. Because the requirement of copyright notice was recently

    removed from the statute, some confusion has arisen over the application of the

    cure provision in cases where copies without notice were distributed before or

    after the change in the law. We are presented here with such a case. The districtcourt found that the cure requirements applied in this case and granted

    summary judgment on the ground that a proper cure was not effected. Although

    we disagree that some of the facts relied upon by the district court are

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    2/21

    I. BACKGROUND

    undisputed, we find that the court's legal conclusions are correct and affirm the

    judgment based on an alternative version of facts that are not in dispute.

    2 Plaintiff-appellant, Charles Garnier, Paris ("Garnier") is a French company

    engaged in the business of designing, manufacturing and selling fine jewelryaround the world. In 1987, a Garnier employee designed a piece of jewelry

    known as the Swirled Hoop Earring. Garnier first showed and offered the

    Swirled Hoop Earring for sale publicly in April of 1988. Garnier has distributed

    the Earring ever since to customers internationally and in the United States.

    3 Defendants-appellants Andin International, Inc. and Jotaly, Ltd., a corporate

    affiliate of Andin, (collectively referred to as "Andin") manufacture and sell

    jewelry in the United States. In 1990, Andin began manufacturing and sellingidentical copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring without Garnier's knowledge or

    authorization. In July of 1992, Garnier discovered that Andin was producing

    and distributing infringing copies of its Swirled Hoop Earring. Garnier

    immediately registered its copyright in the earring at that time,1asserting that

    this was the first time it had ever considered seeking copyright protection for

    that piece.

    4 Prior to the registration of the Swirled Hoop Earring design in July of 1992,none of Garnier's Swirled Hoop Earrings carried a notice of copyright.2After

    registering the Swirled Hoop Earring, Garnier's factory immediately began

    placing notice of copyright on every copy of the Swirled Hoop Earring

    produced thereafter. Garnier claims that, once it discovered Andin had copied

    the Swirled Hoop Earring, it discarded all remaining Swirled Hoop Earrings in

    its own inventories that did not have proper notice, and refrained from

    delivering any of the earrings without notice to its retail customers. Thus, all of

    Garnier's distributions of the Swirled Hoop Earring after July of 1992 containednotice of copyright.

    5 The parties dispute whether copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring existed in retail

    stores selling Garnier's jewelry as of July of 1992. Garnier's customers consist

    of independent retail jewelers, retail jewelry chains, multiple store locations and

    department stores. Although there are 150 such customers, only 50 are

    continuing or repeat customers. Garnier claims that its customers had little, if

    any, inventory of the Swirled Hoop Earring at the time Garnier "discovered"the need to provide copyright notice in July of 1992. According to Garnier,

    mid-summer is the low point in the business cycle for retail jewelry because

    inventories are used up and new orders go out for fall delivery. In September of

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    3/21

    1992, however, Andin purchased a Swirled Hoop Earring at Bloomingdale's,

    one of Garnier's customers, which did not bear any copyright notice. Garnier

    also sent a letter to its fifty largest customers stating that it had registered a

    copyright in the Swirled Hoop Earring. One Garnier official admitted that the

    letter was sent in case any of the retailers still had the earring in their

    inventories. Ultimately, Garnier simply did not know how many Swirled Hoop

    Earrings its retailers still had in their inventories as of July of 1992.

    6 The letter that Garnier sent to its fifty largest customers was the only remedial

    effort taken by Garnier with respect to the Swirled Hoop Earrings still

    remaining in retail store inventories in direct response to the July, 1992

    discovery of Andin's infringement. In the letter, Garnier stated that it held a

    copyright in the Swirled Hoop Earring, but did not indicate that copyright

    notice had been omitted from the earrings in the retailers' inventories or that

    there was a need to rectify the omission by adding notice of copyright. Garnierclaims it did not send the letter to the other 100 retail customers because those

    customers were only one-time purchasers of the Swirled Hoop Earring, and

    they were therefore unlikely to have any Swirled Hoop Earring inventory left

    by July of 1992. Garnier never offered to send a tag or label bearing a copyright

    notice to the retailers for placement on any unnoticed items in their inventory.

    7 Garnier did have another arrangement, already in place by the time Garnier

    discovered Andin's infringement in July of 1992, that was designed to provide ageneral notice of copyright. Beginning in 1990, Garnier provided all its retail

    customers with a "story card" and instructed them to include the card with the

    sale of all Garnier products to purchasing consumers. The story card stated,

    among other things, that the purchased piece is a "Charles Garnier of Paris

    original ... genuine 18 karat gold copyrighted design," and that "every Charles

    Garnier design is a genuine copyrighted original." The card says nothing in

    particular about the Swirled Hoop Earring, the lack of copyright notice, or the

    need to affix notice to unnoticed pieces. Although the story card was notattached or affixed to the jewelry pieces themselves, Garnier claimed that its

    retailers gave the story card to every customer who bought Garnier jewelry.

    Garnier occasionally checked to confirm this but generally relied on the

    retailers' word that they were providing the story card to purchasers of Garnier

    jewelry.

    8 Garnier brought this action in October of 1992, asserting two claims of

    copyright infringement against Andin. Count I of the complaint alleged thatAndin had infringed Garnier's copyright in the Swirled Hoop Earring and

    Count II alleged that Andin had infringed Garnier's copyright in another piece

    of jewelry. The claim in Count II was eventually settled and is not presently

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    4/21

    II. ANALYSIS

    before us. In May of 1993, Garnier filed a motion for a preliminary injunction

    against Andin's continuing manufacture and distribution of copies of Garnier's

    Swirled Hoop Earring. Andin then filed a motion for partial summary judgment

    as to Count I of the complaint. Following a hearing, the district court denied

    Garnier's motion for a preliminary injunction and granted Andin's motion for

    summary judgment as to Count I. The court concluded that Garnier's copyright

    in the Swirled Hoop Earring had been forfeited because Garnier had omittednotice of copyright from the Swirled Hoop Earring when it was first published

    and subsequently failed to take reasonable efforts to cure that omission. Entry

    of final judgment as to Count I was made by the court under Rule 54(b) on

    March 2, 1994. Garnier appealed and, after ordering the district court to provide

    a more expansive statement of the reasons for its Rule 54(b) certification, we

    heard the present appeal.

    9 A. What Efforts To Cure, If Any, Are Required?

    10 This case centers around the "cure" provision of the copyright statute, 17

    U.S.C. Sec. 405(a). This provision enables would-be copyright holders who

    have failed to provide proper notice on a creative work for which they seek

    protection under the copyright laws to avoid forfeiture of protection for that

    work by taking various remedial measures.3See 2 Nimmer on Copyright Sec.7.13[B] (1985) [hereinafter Nimmer ]; Note, Omission of Copyright Notice

    Under Section 405(a): What Kind of Oxymoron Makes a Deliberate Error?, 60

    N.Y.U.L.Rev. 956 (1985) [hereinafter Note, Omission of Notice ]. Under Sec.

    405(a)(2), failure to affix proper notice to certain copies of a work will not

    result in forfeiture of copyright protection if, within five years after the first

    publication of a copy without notice, the work is registered at the Copyright

    Office and a "reasonable effort" is made by the author to add notice to all

    copies distributed to the public "after the omission has been discovered." 17U.S.C. Sec. 405(a)(2); Princess Fabrics, Inc. v. CHF, Inc., 922 F.2d 99, 103 (2d

    Cir.1990); Donald Frederick Evans v. Continental Homes, Inc., 785 F.2d 897,

    905-12 (11th Cir.1986); Hasbro Bradley, Inc. v. Sparkle Toys, Inc., 780 F.2d

    189, 193-94 (2d Cir.1985); Shapiro & Son Bedspread Corp. v. Royal Mills

    Assoc., 764 F.2d 69, 72-75 (2d Cir.1985).

    11 Prior to March of 1989, notice of copyright was mandatory, thus proper cure

    for omission of copyright notice was required for all copies distributed to thepublic after the omission of notice was discovered. Nimmer Sec. 702[C], at 7-

    15 through 7-16. In 1988, the copyright statute was amended by the Berne

    Convention Implementation Act of 1988 ("BCIA"), Pub.L. No. 100-568, 102

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    5/21

    Stat. 2853 (amending 17 U.S.C. Sec. 101 et seq.), in order to bring the United

    States in line with the Berne Convention on Copyright, an international

    convention aimed at harmonizing copyright law around the world. Nimmer Sec.

    702[B], at 7-14. Consequently, effective March 1, 1989, the attachment of

    notice of copyright is no longer required to gain copyright protection for

    creative works, although it is still encouraged through various incentives. Id. at

    7-14, 7-16; see, e.g., Direct Marketing of Va., Inc. v. E. Mishan & Sons, Inc.,753 F.Supp. 100, 104 n. 8 (S.D.N.Y.1990). The aforementioned cure

    requirements provided in Sec. 405(a), however, are retained in the amended

    statute and apply to "copies and phonorecords publicly distributed by authority

    of the copyright owner before the effective date of the [BCIA]." 17 U.S.C. Sec.

    405(a); Encore Shoe Corp. v. Bennett Indus., Inc., 18 U.S.P.Q.2d 1874 n. 9,

    1991 WL 27412 (D.Mass.1991); Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B]. One issue bedeviling

    this case is whether the BCIA amendments have eliminated Garnier's need to

    cure some or all of the copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring, given that Garnierfirst distributed copies prior to the effective date of the BCIA amendments, but

    also distributed copies after the amendments went into effect.

    12 Before we address that issue, however, we must first review the district court's

    determination of the point at which Garnier "discovered" its omission of

    copyright notice for purposes of the cure provision. 17 U.S.C. Sec. 405(a)(2)

    (requiring a "reasonable effort" to add notice to all copies distributed to the

    public after the omission of notice "has been discovered "). The discovery dateis important for determining the date at which cure efforts should commence

    and for determining whether the "delay," if any, between discovery and cure is

    such that subsequent cure efforts can no longer be considered reasonable. See,

    e.g., Princess Fabrics, 922 F.2d at 103; Valve & Primer Corp. v. Val-Matic

    Valve & Mfg. Corp., 730 F.Supp. 141, 143-44 (N.D.Ill.1990).

    13 1. When was the Omission of Copyright Notice Discovered?

    14 Garnier claims that it discovered the omission of copyright notice on copies of

    its Swirled Hoop Earring in July of 1992--when Garnier found out that Andin

    had produced and sold copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring design. The district

    court found, however, that Garnier "should have known" of the omission of

    notice when Garnier initially distributed the Swirled Hoop Earring in April of

    1988. The district court concluded, therefore, that Garnier "discovered" the

    omission of notice on that date. On appeal, Garnier asserts that the court erred

    both legally and factually. We agree only with the latter assertion.

    15 Courts and commentators have developed several different approaches toward

    the problem of determining what constitutes the "discovery" of omission of

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    6/21

    copyright notice, and at what point discovery occurs for purposes of the cure

    provision in Sec. 405(a). At one extreme is the rule announced in O'Neill Devs,

    Inc. v. Galen Kilburn, Inc., 524 F.Supp. 710, 714 (N.D.Ga.1981), which states

    that "discovery" relates to "the fact that the existence of a copyright has become

    an issue." In other words, discovery occurs when a copyright holder finds out

    that someone else is copying his or her creative work. The court in O'Neill did

    not state any authority or reason for its rule; rather, it focused on discrediting analternative rule endorsed in Nimmer on Copyright, Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-

    124.2 through 7-130. According to Nimmer, any deliberate or intentional

    omission (that is, omissions that are not "inadvertent,"4) are automatically

    discovered upon the date when a copy of the work is first published or publicly

    distributed. Id. at 7-125 through 7-126; see also Beacon Looms, Inc. v. S.

    Lichtenberg & Co., Inc., 552 F.Supp. 1305, 1310-12 (S.D.N.Y.1982), criticized

    by Hasbro Bradley, 780 F.2d at 195-96. Nimmer reasons that if an omission is

    deliberate, "it must be immediately known (or 'discovered')." Nimmer Sec.7.13[B], at 7-125. "Simply put, one cannot 'discover' an omission that has been

    deliberate." Beacon Looms, 552 F.Supp. at 1310.

    16 The O'Neill court argued that the Nimmer formulation clearly conflicted with

    the legislative intent behind Sec. 405(a). O'Neill, 524 F.Supp. at 714. Nimmer's

    rule essentially removes any chance for those who deliberately and

    intentionally omit copyright notice to successfully cure under the "reasonable

    effort" requirement of Sec. 405(a)(2).5See Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-125. Yet,when Congress amended the Copyright Law in 1976, it expressed a clear

    intention to eliminate the previous distinction, made since 1909, between

    purposeful or deliberate omissions, which were subject to automatic forfeiture

    of copyright protection, and unintentional omissions, which were curable, so

    that all omissions could be cured by reasonable efforts. See Sparkle Toys, 780

    F.2d at 195-96; O'Neill, 524 F.Supp. at 714; Note, Omission of Notice, 60

    N.Y.U.L.Rev. at 963-75. According to the O'Neill court, the word "discover"

    must be read in light of the Congressional intent to make all omissions curable.O'Neill, 524 F.Supp. at 714.

    17 In response, Nimmer argues that Congressional intent must give way to the

    plain meaning of the statutory text of Sec. 405(a)(2), which, in Nimmer's view,

    compels the conclusion that discovery is immediate for deliberate omissions.

    Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-125.

    18 We think that the proper interpretation of Sec. 405(a)(2) must lie somewherebetween the rule described in Nimmer and the rule announced in O'Neill. On

    the one hand, Congress intended a copyright holder to be able to cure all

    omissions, if the holder made "reasonable efforts" to add notice. See H.R.Rep.

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    7/21

    No. 1476, 94th Cong., 2d Sess. 147, reprinted in 1976 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5659,

    5673; see also Sparkle Toys, 780 F.2d at 195-96. Furthermore, the language in

    Sec. 405(a)(2) concerning the addition of notice to all copies "after the

    omission has been discovered," 17 U.S.C. 405(a)(2), does not expressly

    preclude a finding that a given deliberate omission was discovered after the

    initial publication of a work. Sparkle Toys, 780 F.2d at 196. Thus, the plain

    language of the statute does not conflict with its legislative intent.

    19 Although Nimmer makes a compelling argument that one already knows, and

    thus cannot "discover," an omission that was made deliberately, this argument

    is only compelling if we limit the definition of "deliberate omission" to mean a

    purposeful decision to forgo copyright protection that would otherwise be

    available if notice were affixed to a creative work. But see Sparkle Toys, 780

    F.2d at 196 (noting that an assignee or licensee of the author or a company

    employee at a higher level of the corporate hierarchy than the deliberate omittercould subsequently discover a deliberate omission, in which case the nature of

    the deliberate omission would be altogether irrelevant to the plausibility of a

    subsequent discovery, and Nimmer's argument would not be compelling under

    any definition of "deliberate omission"). Most courts, and Nimmer himself,

    however, have not so confined their definition of a deliberate omission. See

    cases cited supra note ; Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-125 n. 78. For example,

    "mistake of law" omitters and "thoughtless" omitters are usually considered

    deliberate omitters because they are aware of the absence of any notice at thetime their work was first published and they had no intention of affixing notice

    at that time. See supra note . Under a common sense reading of Sec. 405(a)(2),

    these omitters could subsequently "discover" their omissions of copyright

    notice when they are later apprised of the legal significance of their failure to

    provide notice. See M. Kramer Mfg. Co., Inc. v. Andrews, 783 F.2d 421, 443 &

    n. 21 (4th Cir.1986); Sparkle Toys, 780 F.2d at 191; Shapiro, 764 F.2d at 73 n.

    5; Valve & Primer Corp. v. Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp., 730 F.Supp. 141,

    143 (N.D.Ill.1990); Innovative Concepts, 576 F.Supp. at 460; see also Note,Omission of Notice, 60 N.Y.U.L.Rev. at 981 (stating that "an individual with

    no knowledge whatsoever of the copyright law could ... 'discover' its relevance

    and so 'discover' that the blank spot was indeed an omission"). We therefore

    conclude that deliberate omissions are potentially curable and can be

    discovered after the first copy of a work is published.

    20 On the other hand, the O'Neill rule, stating that discovery only occurs when a

    controversy arises over the existence and enforceability of a copyright, simplyhas no basis in the language of Sec. 405(a)(2) and we must reject it. As Nimmer

    correctly points out, the language of Sec. 405(a)(2) plainly indicates that "[i]t is

    the discovery of 'the omission ' of notice, not the discovery of the fact that the

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    8/21

    copyright may be challenged, which triggers the 'reasonable effort'

    requirement." Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-127. There are plenty of

    circumstances in which "discovery" occurs prior to a copyright dispute, such as

    when counsel advises the author that he or she must provide copyright notice to

    obtain copyright protection or that the current notice is inadequate to satisfy the

    notice requirements. See, e.g., M. Kramer, 783 F.2d at 443 & n. 21; Sparkle

    Toys, 780 F.2d at 191; Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at 73 n. 5; Val-Matic, 730F.Supp. at 143; Videotronics, Inc. v. Bend Electronics, 586 F.Supp. 478, 480,

    483 (D.Nev.1984); Innovative Concepts, 576 F.Supp. at 460. Indeed, the fact

    that many of these cited cases also found that discovery occurred after a

    deliberate omission was originally made at the time of first publication

    indicates that the middle-ground test for determining the point of discovery is

    the preferred one in practice.

    21 In the present case, the district court concluded that Garnier "should haveknown of the omission" when the Swirled Hoop Earring was first published in

    April of 1988, and thus placed Garnier's discovery of omission at the date of

    first publication or soon thereafter. The court based its decision primarily on a

    finding that, at the time the Swirled Hoop Earring was offered for sale to the

    public in April of 1988, Garnier "had a policy of screening its newly created

    pieces to determine which would or would not be copyrighted, deferring action

    to first determine marketability." The court added that despite periodic reviews

    of various copyrights held by the company, Garnier waited four and one-halfyears before registering its copyright in the Swirled Hoop Earring and attaching

    notice, essentially waiting to see if the Swirled Hoop Earring would become a

    best-selling item before taking any action.

    22 It must first be noted that the district court did not hold that Garnier's omission

    was deliberate and thus, via the Nimmer rule, automatically discovered upon

    the date of first publication. Rather, the court found that the facts of the case

    indicated that Garnier, "an international corporation, ultimately sophisticated inthe need for copyrighting," should have known the legal consequences of its

    omission of copyright notice and thus purposefully and intentionally refused to

    seek out the protections of the copyright laws. Disregarding for a moment the

    district court's factual findings, we hold that the court did not err legally in this

    determination.

    23 When an author makes a deliberate decision to forgo potential copyright

    protection of a work by failing to affix notice on copies, with the knowledgethat copyright notice is normally required, that author becomes aware of the

    legal effect of its omission of notice and thus has discovered the omission for

    purposes of Sec. 405(a)(2). Discovery can occur upon the date of first

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    9/21

    publication if the author has this state of mind when the first copies are

    distributed. Finding that conscious decisions to forgo the expense of complying

    with the requirements for a copyright can result in an immediate discovery of

    the omission of notice under Sec. 405(a)(2) does no injustice to the legislative

    intent to provide notice of all omissions. No cure can be considered

    "reasonable" in cases where the author simply sits back and waits to see

    whether his or her work will be a best-seller, before suddenly springing intoaction and deciding to claim copyright protection after a competitor invests

    significant time and resources in developing a competing product.

    24 The district court's use of the phrase "should have known," implying an

    objective standard of discovery or some concept of constructive notice, though

    misleading, is not erroneous on the facts of this case. Other courts have used the

    phrase "should have known" to indicate that the circumstantial evidence points

    so strongly toward the author's knowledge of copyright omission that, if in factthe author did not know of the omission, it would be fair to say that a party in

    the author's position clearly "should have known" that notice was both required

    and missing from copies of his or her creative work. Donald Frederick Evans &

    Assocs., 785 F.2d at 911; Val-Matic, 730 F.Supp. at 143. We think that a

    circumscribed use of this constructive notice concept is acceptable as long as

    courts are careful not to extend it further than the facts warrant. For example, it

    would not be acceptable to find that an author discovers an omission of notice

    upon the date of first publication merely because the author is a large andsophisticated company with several lawyers on staff. The facts found by the

    district court, namely that Garnier had a regular process for screening new

    pieces for potential copyright protection and a separate process for review of

    past copyrights, are strong enough to support a finding that Garnier should have

    known it omitted a required copyright notice.

    25 The court's factual findings, however, are not supported by the record, at least

    for purposes of summary judgment. Because the district court granted summaryjudgment in favor of Andin, we must review its decision de novo, to determine

    whether the record, viewed in the light most favorable to Garnier and with all

    reasonable inferences drawn in Garnier's favor, presents any genuine issues of

    material fact and whether Andin is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

    Serrano-Perez v. FMC Corp., 985 F.2d 625, 626 (1st Cir.1993); Pagano v.

    Frank, 983 F.2d 343, 347 (1st Cir.1993). Summary judgment may not be

    granted if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for

    Garnier. Serrano-Perez, 985 F.2d at 626; Pagano, 983 F.2d at 347.

    26 Our review of the record in this case reveals that critical factual issues are

    disputed or unproven. In particular, it is disputed whether, at the time that the

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    10/21

    Swirled Hoop Earring was first published in April of 1988, Garnier had a

    process for screening jewelry pieces for potential copyright protection, whether

    Garnier had a review process for existing copyrights, and whether Garnier even

    held any United States copyrights or knew anything about copyright

    requirements in the United States. Garnier's export manager, Christian Victor,

    stated in a detailed affidavit that when the Swirled Hoop Earring was

    introduced in April of 1988, Garnier had no experience or expertise with UnitedStates copyright laws, had never applied for registration of a copyright in the

    United States, and had no internal procedures for determining copyrightability,

    copyright notice requirements, or other aspects of copyright protection for new

    or existing jewelry works under United States law.

    27 According to the record, the first United States copyright obtained by Garnier

    was in October of 1988, six months after the Swirled Hoop Earring was first

    published. Although Garnier held copyrights in approximately 25 to 30 productdesigns out of the 500 products in its line, there is no evidence Garnier held any

    United States copyrights prior to October of 1988. The only evidence regarding

    copyright screening procedures or review processes is some rather equivocal

    deposition testimony from Garnier's Vice President of United States

    Operations, Vincent Ferrante. It is not clear from Ferrante's testimony how

    thorough and comprehensive the alleged "screening" and "review" processes

    really were, such that they would be likely to include a consideration of

    copyright protection for a jewelry piece like the Swirled Hoop Earring.Ferrante did testify that Garnier makes a special effort to protect copyrights in

    its "signature pieces" and that the Swirled Hoop Earring was considered one

    such piece. Ferrante never explained, however, what those "special efforts"

    were, whether those efforts were in effect in 1988, or, if they were, whether

    they actually applied to the Swirled Hoop Earring. Victor stated in his affidavit

    that the Swirled Hoop Earring never went through any review or screening

    process.

    28 More importantly, Ferrante stated that he was "not sure" when Garnier started

    its copyright screening and review processes. Ferrante began working at

    Garnier in the fall of 1990 and he testified that when he arrived, Garnier had a

    "standard policy" to obtain copyrights on their designs. The only evidence that

    some type of copyright screening or review policy was in place at Garnier

    when the Swirled Hoop Earring was first published is Ferrante's answer to the

    following question by Andin's counsel: "Does the [standard] policy go back to

    at least 1985?" to which Ferrante responded: "I believe it did."

    29 We conclude that this evidence is insufficient to support the court's finding, on

    summary judgment, that Garnier discovered its omission of copyright at the

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    11/21

    time it first published the Swirled Hoop Earring.

    30There also exists a genuine issue of fact as to whether Garnier discovered its

    omission of copyright at some point between April of 1988, when the Swirled

    Hoop Earring was first published, and July of 1992, when Garnier registered

    the Swirled Hoop Earring design. Although some sort of copyright review and

    screening process was in place at Garnier during this time, the exact nature andextent of the process is not clear from Ferrante's testimony. Ferrante never

    testified that any of the company's screening or review procedures were applied

    retroactively to jewelry pieces developed prior to the initial institution of those

    procedures. Furthermore, Victor stated in his affidavit that the first review

    process for United States copyrights was begun sometime in 1990 and that it

    did not function retroactively to include pieces like the Swirled Hoop Earring.

    Victor also stated that up until November of 1990, the company only sought

    copyright protection for animal designs, and not for designs like the SwirledHoop Earring. While a reasonable factfinder could infer that Garnier's

    copyright review process led to a "discovery," sometime prior to July of 1992,

    of the fact that all non-noticed pieces in its line of jewelry, including the

    Swirled Hoop Earring, were subject to forfeiture of United States copyright

    protection unless notice was attached to all copies of those works,6such an

    inference is not compelled by the evidence. On the contrary, the summary

    judgment standard requires that we indulge all reasonable inferences in favor of

    Garnier, Serrano-Perez, 985 F.2d at 626, and it is reasonable to infer thatGarnier did not consider the absence of notice, and the legal significance of

    such absence, until it found out Andin had copied the design in July of 1992.

    31 In sum, because a genuine factual dispute exists as to whether Garnier's

    discovery occurred prior to July of 1992, when Garnier claims discovery

    occurred, summary judgment cannot be granted on the basis that Garnier

    discovered the omission before July of 1992. Despite this finding, however, we

    may still uphold the district court's judgment if we find that, as a matter of law,Garnier was still required to cure the lack of notice on certain copies of the

    Swirled Hoop Earring and subsequently failed to make reasonable efforts to

    effect such a cure. See Medina-Munoz v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 896 F.2d

    5, 7 (1st Cir.1990) (stating that in reviewing summary judgment orders, as in

    other contexts, we are free to affirm the district court on any independently

    sufficient ground supported by the record). Accordingly, we proceed on the

    assumption that Garnier discovered its omission in July of 1992 and address

    whether Garnier nevertheless forfeited its copyright because of a failure tosatisfy the cure requirements provided in Sec. 405(a)(2).

    32 2. To Which Copies, If Any, Must Notice Be Attached To Effect A Cure?

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    12/21

    With respect to copies and phonorecords publicly distributed [before March 1,

    1989], the omission of copyright notice ... does not invalidate the copyright in a

    33 As stated earlier, the reasonable effort requirement in the cure provision applies

    to all copies that are "distributed to the public in the United States after the

    omission has been discovered." 17 U.S.C. Sec. 401(a)(2). Thus, Garnier need

    not affix notice to copies of its Swirled Hoop Earring already distributed to the

    public before July of 1992, the date at which we assume Garnier discovered its

    omission of notice. See Forry, Inc. v. Neundorfer, Inc., 837 F.2d 259, 265 (6th

    Cir.1988); Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-122.

    34 Garnier began affixing notice to all copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring it

    distributed after the discovery date, July of 1992, and, furthermore, disposed of

    all copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring without notice in its inventories at that

    time.

    35 The only remaining copies that are potentially subject to the cure requirements,

    therefore, are those earrings manufactured before July of 1992 and sent to

    Garnier's customers, but not yet sold to the public, by July of 1992. At issue

    then are only those copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring without notice that

    remained in the retail inventories of Garnier's retail customers as of July, 1992.

    36 Normally, a copyright owner has an obligation under Sec. 405(a)(2) to add

    copyright notice to copies distributed to retail dealers but not yet sold to the

    public. Lifshitz v. Walter Drake & Sons, Inc., 806 F.2d 1426, 1434 (9th

    Cir.1986); M. Kramer, 783 F.2d at 444; Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at 74. Garnier

    argues, however, that it need not take any efforts to cure the absence of notice

    on these copies because they had not been distributed to the public before the

    effective date of the Berne Convention amendments to the copyright statute

    (that is, the BCIA). As stated earlier, the BCIA eliminated the notice

    requirement for copyright protection as of March 1, 1989, but retained the cure

    provision in Sec. 405(a) for copies distributed before that date. Garnier argues

    that the proper interpretation of the BCIA and the new Sec. 405(a) is that the

    notice requirement is eliminated for all copies distributed after March 1, 1989,

    even if other copies of the same work were distributed without notice before

    March of 1989.7Andin argues, and the district court held, that once copies in a

    work are distributed without notice before March 1, 1989, the obligation to

    cure retained in Sec. 405(a) attaches to all copies in the work, including those

    published after the BCIA took effect.

    37 The language of Sec. 405(a) is critical to resolving this issue, and, not

    surprisingly, the language is ambiguous. The statute states in relevant part:

    38

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    13/21

    work if ... (2) ... reasonable effort is made to add notice to all copies or phonorecords

    that are distributed to the public in the United States after the omission has been

    discovered.

    39 Garnier correctly points out that the statute could reasonably be interpreted as

    stating: "With respect to only those copies published before 1989, a reasonable

    effort to add notice is still required, but with respect to copies published afterMarch 1989, notice is not required." Garnier reasons that if Congress wanted to

    adopt Andin's interpretation, it would have written the statute to read: "With

    respect to works" first published before March 1989, instead of "With respect to

    copies" first published before March 1989.8

    40 Andin's interpretation, however, is a more convincing construction of Sec.

    405(a). Plainly read, the statute provides that the omission of copyright notice

    on copies distributed before March 1, 1989, does not result in forfeiture of

    copyright "in a work" if the proper cure is made pursuant to Sec. 405(a)(1), (3),

    or, in this case, Sec. 405(a)(2). Under Sec. 405(a)(2), the author must make a

    reasonable effort "to add notice to all copies" that "are distributed to the public"

    after the omission has been discovered. This language indicates that all copies

    that "are" presently distributed, of a work for which unnoticed copies were

    published at a time when notice was required, must be cured, regardless of

    when those copies are distributed. Congress said "all" copies, and did not limit

    the cure requirements to works that "were distributed prior to the effective dateof the BCIA." See Encore Shoe Corp., 18 U.S.P.Q.2d 1874, at n. 9, 1991 WL

    27412 (D.Mass.1991) ("[I]f the pre-BCIA publications bear defective notice,

    then 'a reasonable effort' must be made to add notice to all copies after the

    defective notice has been discovered, even if discovery occurs after March 1,

    1989."); accord Nimmer Sec. 7.13[B], at 7-120 n. 54.

    41 Garnier argues that "all copies" merely refers to all copies within the subset of

    copies distributed prior to March 1, 1989. Garnier grounds this assertion in the

    language of the introductory sentence of Sec. 405(a), which states: "With

    respect to copies and phonorecords publicly distributed [before the effective

    date of the BCIA]...." According to Garnier, this introductory phrase defines

    the set of copies to which the rest of Sec. 405(a), including the cure

    requirements in Sec. 405(a)(2), applies. Though plausible, this construction

    strains the language of the statute. Further, in view of the fact that Congress, in

    enacting the BCIA, had made changes to Sec. 405(a) so as to limit its

    applicability only to those instances where the omission of notice had firstoccurred prior to March 1, 1989, the failure to limit the remedial cure provision

    to just those copies cannot be said to have been an oversight. See St. Martin

    Evangelical Lutheran Church v. South Dakota, 451 U.S. 772, 786-88, 101 S.Ct.

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    14/21

    2142, 2150-51, 68 L.Ed.2d 612 (1981) (Congress in amending one section of a

    statute is not presumed to have intended an amendment to another section of the

    statute which had not been altered).

    42 Contrary to Garnier's assertion, the legislative history for Sec. 405(a) is

    indeterminate as to the present issue because it essentially parrots the language

    employed in the text of the statute itself. See S.Rep. No. 100-352 at 45,reprinted in 1988 U.S.C.C.A.N. 3706, 3742. The House Report attached to a

    preliminary version of the BCIA bill actually contradicts Garnier's

    interpretation of the statute. See supra note . While Congress speaks of limiting

    the "applicability" of the notice provisions in the copyright statute to copies

    distributed before March 1, 1989, see S.Rep. No. 100-352 at 45, reprinted in

    1988 U.S.C.C.A.N. 3706, 3742, nowhere does Congress state an intention to

    alter the then-existing pre-BCIA cure requirements set out in Sec. 405(a)(2),

    which mandate that an author add notice to "all copies" of a work.

    43 Garnier further argues that Andin's interpretation of the BCIA-amended Sec.

    405(a) conflicts with the overall purpose of the BCIA which was to bring

    United States copyright law in line with the Berne Convention by eliminating

    the requirement that notice of copyright be affixed to copies of a work. We

    disagree. First of all, the BCIA applies prospectively, as evidenced by the

    retention of Sec. 405(a). Thus, applying forfeiture rules for lack of notice to

    works first published before the BCIA went into effect does not conflict withthe general goals of the Act. Furthermore, Congress adopted a "minimalist

    approach" in the BCIA, amending the Copyright Act "only insofar as it is

    necessary to resolve the conflict [between U.S. law and the Berne Convention]

    in a manner compatible with the public interest, respecting the pre-existing

    balance of rights and limitations in the Copyright Act as a whole." H.R. 100-

    609, reprinted at 6 Nimmer on Copyright, App. 32, at 32-20. Congress did not

    intend to adopt the Berne Convention wholesale; the amended statute itself

    makes it clear that the United States Copyright Act, and not the BerneConvention, controls disputes arising under the copyright laws. 17 U.S.C. Sec.

    104(c) ("No right or interest in a work eligible for protection under this title

    may be claimed by virtue of, or in reliance upon, the provisions of the Berne

    Convention, or the adherence of the United States thereto"); see also S.Rep.

    100-352, at p. 41, reprinted in 1988 U.S.C.C.A.N. 3706, at 3738 (cautioning

    courts "to resolve issues of the existence, scope, or application of rights in

    works subject to copyright through the normal processes of statutory

    interpretation and the application of common law precedents, as appropriate,rather than by reference to the provisions of Berne or the fact of U.S. adherence

    to the Convention.").

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    15/21

    44 For the foregoing reasons, therefore, we hold that Sec. 405(a) imposes a cure

    requirement for all copies of any work which was first published prior to the

    effective date of the BCIA. In this case, the cure requirement applies to all

    copies of Garnier's Swirled Hoop Earring remaining in retail inventories as of

    July of 1992.

    45 B. Was Garnier's Cure Adequate?

    46 Having determined that Garnier must make reasonable efforts to add notice to

    copies in Garnier's customers' retail inventories as of July 1992, we must

    determine whether Garnier's actual cure efforts were reasonable, as a matter of

    law, for purposes of Andin's summary judgment motion. The district court

    based its finding that Garnier's cure efforts were not reasonable at least in part

    on the assumption that Garnier discovered its omission in April of 1988 andthen waited over four years before adding notice to its Swirled Hoop Earrings.

    Although we found this assumption erroneous for summary judgment purposes,

    the court's decision can nevertheless be upheld on the alternative finding that

    Garnier's cure efforts were insufficient as a matter of law even under the

    assumption that Garnier was only required to add notice to copies of the

    Swirled Hoop Earring in retail inventories as of July 1992, and thus did not

    delay its cure efforts. Medina-Munoz, 896 F.2d at 7; Chamberlin v. 101 Realty,

    Inc., 915 F.2d 777, 783 n. 8 (1st Cir.1990) (in reviewing of summary judgmentorders, we are free to affirm the district court on any independently sufficient

    ground supported by the record.)

    47 As an initial matter, Garnier argues that there were few, if any, copies of the

    Swirled Hoop Earring in retail inventories as of July 1992, and, therefore, it

    was not required to take any effort to add notice to retail inventory copies to

    satisfy the "reasonable effort" requirement in Sec. 405(a)(2). Garnier points to

    testimony in the record to the effect that inventories were normally depleted inthe summer months because it was the low point in the business cycle when

    new orders are normally made for fall delivery. There is no dispute, however,

    that at least one Swirled Hoop Earring without notice, the one bought by

    Andin, was in one retailer's inventories as late as September of 1992. More

    importantly, Garnier does not dispute that it did not know whether any of its

    retailers had copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring remaining in stock in July of

    1992, and, in fact, Garnier sent a letter to its fifty largest retailers regarding the

    Swirled Hoop Earring on the assumption that if any retailers had remaininginventory, it would be the larger ones.

    48 Because the reasonable effort requirement in Sec. 405(a)(2) applies to "all"

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    16/21

    copies distributed to the public after discovery of omission, 17 U.S.C. Sec.

    405(a)(2), Garnier's obligation to cure is triggered once Garnier has reason to

    believe any of its retail customers have any Swirled Hoop Earrings in their

    inventories, even if only a few items. See generally Lifshitz, 806 F.2d at 1434

    (holding that a copyright owner has an obligation to add copyright notice to

    copies distributed to retail dealers); M. Kramer, 783 F.2d at 444 (same);

    Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at 74 (same). At the very least, Garnier is obligated totake some effort to find out if its retailers have any earrings in stock. Garnier,

    however, did not do this. We find, therefore, that because there is no dispute

    that (1) at least one unnoticed Swirled Hoop Earring was in retail inventories;

    (2) Garnier suspected that its largest customers had at least a few Swirled Hoop

    Earrings in their inventories; and (3) Garnier made no effort to find out for sure

    whether any of its customers still held copies of its Swirled Hoop Earring, no

    genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether Garnier was obligated to take

    "reasonable efforts" to add notice to copies in retail inventories. Consequently,summary judgment in favor of Andin is not precluded on the basis that the lack

    of evidence of significant amounts of inventory excuses Garnier from taking

    efforts to cure potential Swirled Hoop Earrings in retail inventories.

    49 As we discuss below, other factors may alleviate the need to add notice to retail

    inventories if, for example, such factors make the effort required to add notice

    unduly burdensome or futile. See, e.g., Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at 74-75. In

    such circumstances, summary judgment may not be appropriate, even thoughthe author made no effort to add notice to inventories, because it was

    reasonable not to cure those copies under the circumstances. The mere

    justification that the author thought its retail inventories would be low during

    the summer months, however, does not constitute such a factor and does not

    excuse the requirement to effect a cure. Garnier was therefore required to add

    notice to copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring in the retail inventories of its

    customers.

    50 We are finally prepared to address the issue of whether Garnier's cure efforts

    were insufficient and thus unreasonable as a matter of law. Efforts to cure under

    Sec. 405(a)(2) must consist of steps designed to "add notice to all copies"

    distributed after omission of notice is discovered. 17 U.S.C. Sec. 405(a)(2).

    Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Sec. 401(c), copyright notice must be "affixed" to each

    copy for which protection is desired. Failure to "affix" a notice to the copy

    renders that notice legally deficient and defective. Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at

    72. The legal consequences of a deficient notice are the same as those for anomitted notice. Id. at 72 n. 3; see also Lifshitz, 806 F.2d at 1432, 1434 (a

    defective notice constitutes no notice as a matter of law). Accordingly, to cure

    an omission, the author must add legally proper notice to all copies. To satisfy

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    17/21

    Sec. 405(a)(2), therefore, the author must take "reasonable efforts" to add

    legally proper notice.

    51Garnier submits that it undertook two different efforts to add copyright notice

    to copies of its Swirled Hoop Earring in retail inventories: (1) it sent a letter to

    its fifty largest retail customers stating that it held a copyright in the Swirled

    Hoop Earring; and (2) it provided a story card to its retail customers toaccompany the sale of all its jewelry pieces. Neither measure constitutes a

    legally cognizable effort, reasonable or otherwise, to add notice to its Swirled

    Hoop Earrings. The letter was altogether inadequate because it did not "add

    notice" in any way to copies of the Swirled Hoop Earring. Not only was the

    letter not affixed to any of the Swirled Hoop Earrings, but it also failed to say

    anything about Garnier's failure to attach copyright notice to the earring.

    Furthermore, the letter did not inform retailers of the need to attach some type

    of notice to the Swirled Hoop Earring or even to tell consumers about Garnier'scopyright. See, e.g., Long v. CMD Foods, Inc., 659 F.Supp. 166, 169

    (E.D.Ark.1987). Thus, the letter does not qualify as a legally cognizable effort

    to "add notice," let alone a reasonable one.

    52 Garnier's story cards, which stated that every Garnier design is a "genuine

    copyrighted original," were also not "affixed" to the Swirled Hoop Earring and

    thus constituted an inadequate effort to add notice. Lifshitz, 806 F.2d at 1434

    (finding that author's cure effort, consisting of the addition of a defectivenotice, was not sufficient to represent a reasonable effort to add notice).

    Moreover, the story cards were not part of Garnier's reasonable efforts to add

    notice to copies of its Swirled Hoop Earring "after the omission ha[d] been

    discovered" pursuant to Sec. 405(a)(2). Rather, the cards were instituted by

    Garnier two years earlier, beginning in 1990, and were provided for all of

    Garnier's jewelry pieces. As such, the cards were merely a form of inadequate

    notice existing at the time Garnier discovered the omission of notice on its

    Swirled Hoop Earring and not part of any effort to add notice after the omissionwas discovered. Therefore, the story cards constituted something that needed to

    be cured, not a part of the cure efforts themselves.

    53 We do not dispute that some inadequate cure efforts, such as the provision of

    notice which is not affixed to the copies, can still be relevant to, though not

    alone sufficient to establish, the reasonableness of an author's overall cure

    efforts if such efforts contribute in some way to providing actual notice to the

    public of a claim of copyright. Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d at 74-75. In thisrespect, measures like Garnier's story cards, but not Garnier's letter, could

    potentially enter the reasonableness calculus under Sec. 405(a)(2) to create, in

    combination with some other efforts, a material issue of fact on the question of

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    18/21

    whether reasonable cure efforts were taken. In this case, however, the story

    cards were distributed prior to the discovery of the omission of notice and thus

    do not constitute a "reasonable effort" to "add notice" to copies pursuant to the

    cure requirements in Sec. 405(a)(2). Therefore, Garnier's story cards are not

    cognizable as an effort to cure omission of notice. To the extent Shapiro & Son

    adopts a contrary rule on this issue, id. at 74-75, we respectfully part company

    with the Second Circuit. In summary, then, we find that Garnier undertook nolegally cognizable efforts under Sec. 405(a)(2) to add notice to retail

    inventories of its Swirled Hoop Earring.

    54 Garnier maintains that even if the steps taken with respect to retail inventories

    are inadequate, by themselves, to constitute a reasonable effort to add notice,

    when such steps are combined with Garnier's efforts to add complete and

    adequate notice to all new Swirled Hoop Earrings produced after discovery of

    omission in July of 1992, and to all Swirled Hoop Earrings held by Garnier atthat time, the totality of the efforts are together sufficient to create a material

    issue of fact as to whether Garnier took reasonable efforts to cure. See Shapiro

    & Son, 764 F.2d at 75. We do not agree. Section 405(a)(2) requires reasonable

    efforts to add notice to "all" copies. 17 U.S.C. Sec. 405(a)(2). Where an author

    makes no legally cognizable effort to add notice to an identifiable group of

    copies which lack notice, and there are no significant obstacles hindering the

    author from adding notice to such copies, that author cannot be said to have

    taken reasonable efforts to cure as a matter of law. In the event that addingnotice to retail inventories would have been burdensome, unduly costly,

    unavailing, futile or otherwise unreasonable, a prospective cure--that is adding

    notice only to new copies thereafter produced and distributed--by itself can be

    sufficient to constitute reasonable efforts to cure. See Shapiro & Son, 764 F.2d

    at 74-75 (noting that there was a material issue of fact as to whether the author's

    efforts to add notice to items in retail inventories would have been burdensome

    or unavailing). That, however, is not the case here. Unlike the author in Shapiro

    & Son, Garnier does not assert that an effort to add notice to retail inventoriesof the Swirled Hoop Earring would be unavailing, overly costly or burdensome.

    Garnier could have easily provided retailers with gummed labels or hang tags

    for the Swirled Hoop Earrings without much cost or effort. In this situation,

    adding notice to only newly produced copies and copies in Garnier's own

    possession is insufficient, as a matter of law, to constitute reasonable efforts

    under Sec. 405(a)(2). See, e.g., Val-Matic, 730 F.Supp. at 144 (finding cure

    efforts insufficient where author made no effort to correct copies still in the

    hands of distributors where such efforts would have imposed "little, if any,burden," despite provision of notice on new copies); see also Videotronics, Inc.,

    586 F.Supp. at 480, 483. We accordingly affirm the district court's grant of

    summary judgment on the ground that Garnier failed to take reasonable efforts

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    19/21

    The Swirled Hoop Earring is copyrightable as an original sculptural work. 17U.S.C. Sec. 102(a)(5)

    Copyright notice for jewelry consists of the copyright symbol or the word

    "Copyright," followed by the name of the owner of the copyright, "affixed" to

    each copy in such a manner as "to give reasonable notice of the claim of

    copyright." 17 U.S.C. Sec. 401(b) & (c)

    17 U.S.C. Sec. 405(a) provides:

    (a) Effect of Omission on Copyright.--With respect to copies and phonorecords

    publicly distributed by authority of the copyright owner before the effective

    date of the Berne Convention Implementation Act of 1988, the omission of the

    copyright notice described in sections 401 through 403 from copies or

    phonorecord publicly distributed by authority of the copyright owner does not

    invalidate the copyright in a work if--

    (1) the notice has been omitted from no more than a relatively small number ofcopies or phonorecords distributed to the public; or

    (2) registration for the work has been made before or is made within five years

    after the publication without notice, and a reasonable effort is made to add

    notice to all copies or phonorecords that are distributed to the public in the

    United States after the omission has been discovered; or

    (3) the notice has been omitted in violation of an express requirement in writing

    that, as a condition of the copyright owner's authorization of the public

    distribution of copies or phonorecords, they bear the prescribed notice.

    Garnier has not claimed that Sec. 405(a)(1) or Sec. 405(a)(3) apply in this case,

    so we confine our discussion to Sec. 405(a)(2).

    Inadvertent omissions include those occurring when the author intended to affix

    notice to published copies but his or her attempts to do so were frustrated

    because of some mechanical or publishing mistake that left notice off some orall of the copies. Beacon Looms, Inc. v. S. Lichtenberg & Co., Inc., 552

    F.Supp. 1305, 1313 (S.D.N.Y.1982); Note, Omission of Notice, 60

    N.Y.U.L.Rev. at 957-59. Omissions occurring because the author never

    to cure the omission of copyright notice for its Swirled Hoop Earring.

    55 Affirmed, with costs to be paid by appellant.

    1

    2

    3

    4

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    20/21

    thought about, or knew of, the availability of copyright protection or the

    requirement to affix notice ("thoughtless omitters") or because the author

    mistakenly thought protection was unavailable ("mistake of law omitters") have

    usually been considered to be deliberate, as opposed to inadvertent. The

    omissions are labelled "deliberate" because the authors in these situations were

    aware of the absence of notice at the time their work was first published and

    they never intended to affix notice in the first place. See Note, Omission ofNotice, 60 N.Y.U.L.Rev. at 959-60, 968-71; see, e.g., Sparkle Toys, 780 F.2d at

    191, 195-96; O'Neill, 524 F.Supp. at 712, 715; Innovative Concepts in

    Entertainment, Inc. v. Entertainment Enters. Ltd., 576 F.Supp. 457, 460

    (E.D.N.Y.1983)

    This is because Nimmer's rule immediately triggers the requirement to add

    notice, see Sec. 405(a)(2) (requiring cure efforts once the omission is

    "discovered"), which the copyright author will presumably fail to do within a"reasonable" time. Authors will presumably fail to cure within a reasonable

    time because they have just distributed copies without notice to begin with and

    it is unlikely they would suddenly attach notice when they could have done so

    in the first place

    In other words, Garnier would have, or should have, become aware of the

    consequences of omission, transforming its thoughtless omission into a

    purposeful decision to forgo copyright notice, and thus discovering its omission

    Garnier recognizes that if it was deemed to have discovered the omission of

    notice in April of 1988 and then failed to cure in a reasonable time thereafter, it

    would have forfeited its copyright in the Swirled Hoop Earring and the design

    would pass into the public domain, regardless of the provisions in the BCIA

    amendments. Thus, Garnier is not asserting that the BCIA can be read to

    resurrect a right that did not exist prior to the date that it went into effect

    There is no merit to Garnier's claim that Congress initially considered makingthe amended version of Sec. 405(a) applicable to "works first published" before

    March 1, 1989, but later rejected such language in favor of "copies first

    published" before March 1, 1989. To the contrary, the House Report cited by

    Garnier for its argument indicates that Congress always intended the current

    language in Sec. 405(a) to apply the cure requirements to all copies, including

    those distributed after March 1989, of a work first published before March

    1989. See H.R. 100-609, reprinted at 6 Nimmer on Copyright App. 32, at 32-1

    through 32-45. The bill accompanying the House Report amended Sec. 405(a)in exactly the same fashion that Sec. 405(a) was eventually amended. See 6

    Nimmer App. 32, at 32-5 (presenting text of bill which contained the exact

    amendment eventually adopted for Sec. 405(a), at Sec. 9(e)(2) of the bill). The

    5

    6

    7

    8

  • 7/26/2019 Charles Garnier, Paris v. Andin International, Inc., 36 F.3d 1214, 1st Cir. (1994)

    21/21

    report itself then states that "[c]urrent notice requirements are unchanged for

    works first published before the effective date of the Act." Id. at 32-45

    (emphasis added). The report thus interpreted the present language in the same

    way that the district court interpreted it